The Last Sunset

The soft, amber rays of sunshine glistened on the sparkling snow trails and bare tree branches, welcoming David Bransford as he stepped out of his car and into the piercing air one winter morning. David didn't give it more than a glance, squinting at the sky for a second before turning away. He didn't know that it would be one of the last sunrises he would see for an extremely long time. Forcing open his jammed back trunk, David took out his burly hiking and camping pack and heaved it onto the sandy parking lot ground. He examined the contents of his bulky pack, mentally checking off the items inside: water in a filtering bottle, more than enough food, a small tent, a large Swiss Army knife, hiking supplies, extra clothing, a walkie-talkie, and a first aid kit.

David was always an orphan. He'd never known his parents, and the strict matron would automatically shut down any conversation David started about them. He had been a scrawny, friendless child who spent most of his days exploring the rural Yellowstone outlands outside his gloomy, dank orphanage. The only parental figure David had was a kind old park ranger named Albert who had taken David under his wing. Even after David entered college, he still returned to Yellowstone over the holidays to visit Albert.

As David bounded along the grassy plains of the Yellowstone wilderness, he felt his spirits lift; this was the one place he'd always longed to spend time in. His childhood memories had been filled with watching abundant wildlife in dense forests and fishing in the crystal-clear Yellowstone Lake. His greatest love, though, was exploring the rocky limestone mountains scattered throughout the national park; he loved challenging himself every time he hiked. The minute college let out for Christmas break, David stuffed his belongings into a backpack, squeezed into his battered rover, and raced down to Yellowstone National Park for the month.

David peacefully strolled on through the scraggly brush, his thoughts centered on the beautiful orange-hued sky framing majestic bronze mountains in the distance. The only noise was of the soft crunch of David's winter boots on the permafrost and a slight whisper of his breath billowing in the cool air.

There was no one else out in the isolated Yellowstone backcountry.

David was all alone.

After hiking on stable ground for close to half an hour, David reached the planned starting location for his month-long hike: Avalanche Peak. Taking one last look at the secluded, magnificent scenery around him, David slowly shouldered his backpack, bundled himself tighter into his winter clothing, and descended into the dark shadows of the forested mountain trail.

The biting wind howling through the open window chilled Albert Lowenstern as he tossed and turned in his thin blanket. On nights like these, Albert hated living alone in an unheated, run-down cabin in the middle of a deserted Yellowstone forest. Sighing again, he rose from the squeaky bed, wrapped the blanket around his shivering body, and padded on the cold stone floor towards the window, his teeth chattering like castanets. After sealing the window and stoking the flames in the furnace, which had been blown out by the wind, Albert tried to get back to sleep in the warm room, but was forced out of bed again when an obnoxious "ring... ring... " projected from the old-fashioned wall phone.

"Hello?" Albert mumbled, rubbing his bleary eyes.

"Superintendent Stevens here. I just received some new information... the Yellowstone supervolcano is going to erupt. Please report to your nearest ranger station immediately."

The first thought that raced through Albert's mind was how he would manage to stay alive. He nearly fell over in his haste to dress in his rumpled park ranger uniform and rush out the door, thoughts racing through his head. Was he in danger? How would he prepare? Where would he go?

While driving down a lonely, abandoned road in his old pickup truck, Albert suddenly slammed on the brakes and froze in horrific realization-- David was out in the mountains hiking, and he had no clue that Yellowstone was going to blow up in just a few days. Vowing to quickly go to the ranger station, then rush out to find David, Albert accelerated the speed of his car. He arrived and entered the ranger station in a rush, surprised to see how crowded the wooden building was, even at 4 a.m. Albert was busy worrying about David until his thoughts were interrupted by a booming voice emanating from the center of the room.